CROSSING STREETS SAFELY
- Remain alert when crossing streets; use crosswalks (known as zebra crossings here) and pay attention to traffic lights. Always LOOK both ways before crossing as cyclists are known to run red lights.
- Don’t cross the road just because the person in front of you does; take responsibility for your own road safety.
- Remember, we drive on the left in the UK. In central London, ‘look left’ or ‘look right’ is painted on the ground.
- Traveling to Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam or other European cities for a weekend? Be careful, the traffic will be approaching from the right.
ALCOHOL USE
We do not recommend that our students drink alcohol, but if you are going to drink, remember the following:
- You are most at risk when alcohol is involved, so remain alert to your surroundings.
- Don’t leave your drinks unattended; don’t accept drinks from strangers; don’t leave a friend alone in a club; do not buy drinks for a friend who has reached their limit.
DRUGS
Drugs are illegal! (i) Possession, (ii) Use, (iii) Selling, and (iv) Importing, all carry fines or prison sentences and may lead to removal from the program and deportation.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
- USING THE UNDERGROUND: stay behind the yellow lines on station platforms; don’t mess around on platforms.
- NIGHT BUS: stay alert and aware of your surroundings. It's best to sit downstairs or close to the driver.
- SANTANDER CYCLES: If you rent a Santander cycle obey traffic laws; get a helmet.
- TAXIS: Use only licensed ‘black cabs’ or cabs booked at a local ‘minicab’ office; do not get into a vehicle that claims to be a taxi, especially vehicles that cruise the west end clubs in the early hours of the morning.
NIGHT WALKING
- Be sure to use well-lit streets, travel in pairs or groups.
HOUSING SAFETY
- Regularly check to make sure that your door and window locks are fastened
- Don’t invite people in if you’ve just met them and/or your flatmates are uncomfortable
FLAUNTING WEALTH
- Flaunting wealth makes you more likely to attract the wrong kind of attention.
AVOID PICKPOCKETS
Pickpockets work in central London and work in crowded areas like rush hour underground trains, tourist areas, pubs and shops. Remember the following tips to avoid being a target and consider purchasing insurance for your valuables:
- Don’t keep your wallet in your back pocket and don’t keep valuables in an unsecured zip pocket of your backpack. Consider carrying your laptop in an ordinary bag rather than something that is obviously a laptop case.
- Wear your bag across your chest and don’t leave it on a table or chair or adjacent floor in a pub or restaurant.
- Be very cautious when using phones, laptops, etc. in public areas as they can be snatched.
- If threatened by a mugger, hand over your property, alert the police, and get a crime number for insurance – again, you may want to consider getting insurance for your valuables / devices just in case.
- You may use the college safe and use lockers when staying in hostels.
- Be especially conscious of your valuables when travelling around Europe. Barcelona & Madrid are pickpocketing hotspots. Be careful not to look like conspicuous ‘tourists.’
- Watch out for scams, particularly at ATMs (like people distracting you while entering PIN).
TERRORIST THREATS
The UK terror alert is classified as ‘Substantial’; the highest level is ‘Critical’.
- Remain alert, not alarmed, and practice vigilance.
- In the event of a terrorist attack, follow the advice of the police: 'GO IN, STAY IN, TUNE IN’ and contact the London Centre and your family members as soon as possible.
- If you do find yourself caught up in adverse activity, the civil authorities’ advice under ‘stay safe’ principles is: Run, Hide, Tell.
- Check for important information on official government websites and the local US Embassy website.
REGISTER YOUR TRAVEL PLANS
If you are planning to travel, you must register your travel on the 'London Center Independent Student Travel' form in the online Terra Dotta system.
